Project name: House of Voids
Company name: BetweenSpaces
Website: www.betweenspaces.co.in
Contact e-mail: pramodcabetweenspaces.co.in
divyacabetweenspaces.co.in
touchcabetweenspacesco.in
Project Location: Bangalore, India
Completion Year: 2019
Design Team: Bharat Pandyan, Aayushi Sejpal, Liyah Maria
Hitesh Panjwani, Pramod Jaiswal Er Divya E

Other Collaborators
Engineering & Construction: Ramesh Constructions
Landscape: BetweenSpaces and Khalid Pasha
Consultants: Guruprasad Kalkura — Structural
Home Automation: KNX Automation by Alert Corn Labs
HVAC: KH Aircon Solutions Pvt. Ltd
Interior Contractor: Poonam Chand

Photo credits: Shamanth Patil J

Materialization/Brands
Products spec list:
1. Gessi – Faucets
2. Ovion Sofa – Sofas and Dining tables/Chairs
3. Laufen – WC and wash basin
4. Mr. Steam – Steam Shower
5. Armani – Wash Basin
6. Siemens – Kitchen chimney and Inbuilt refrigerator
7. Miele – Dishwasher
8. Ernestomeda – Modular kitchen
9. Bowlers and Wilkins – Home theater
10. BenQ – Projector

This is a view of the front of the house with white concrete structures at the base and wooden slat panels on the upper floor that are closed.

The front of the house is complemented by the lush landscaping of tall trees and thick shrubs that go well with the white exteriors.

This view of the front of the house showcases the wooden slat panels of the upper floor thata re now opened up.

This is a side view of the house that has a tall white outerwall adorned with vines and shrubs.

This is an angled view of the front of the housing the concrete steps leading to the main entrance.

This is a close look at the house exterior that showcases the semi-open slat wood panels of the upper floor.

This is the side of the house that has a row of thick tropical plants that adorn the outer wall and the side of the covered walkway just outside the glass walls.

The living room is placed just on the side of the staircase with a large L-shaped sofa.

The large L-shaped sofa has a wooden structure that is built-into the structure of the stairs topped iwth beige cushions and paired with a wooden coffee table.

This is a close look at the dining area with a large white dining table surrounded by cushioned chairs and topped iwth a decorative chandelier.

This is a sitting room with large gray sofas and gray armchairs surrounding a large gray coffee table topped iwth a ceiling fan.

This is a close look at the indoor balcony that has glass railings on the side and has a view of the lower level.

This is a look at the top floor landing with a large skylight in the middle of the staircase atrium that hangs a decorative lkighting in the middle.

This level has a living room area on the far side with blue green leather sofas by the curtained glass wall.

This is a close look at the blue green L-shaped sectional sofa paired with a multi-tiered coffee table.

This is the home theater with red leather armchairs that stand out against the surrounding blue green walls and ceiling that has golden accents.

This is a look at the bedroom that has a hardwood flooring contrasted by the bright bed, walls, ceiling and dresser by the foot of the bed.

This bathroom has a two-sink vanity and white drawers contrasted by the black marble counter and backsplash.

This is a look at the modern floating platform bed complemented by the blue green tone of the wall and ceiling above it the bed.

This is the illustration of the house's basement level floor plan.

This is the illustration of the house's ground level floor plan.

This is the illustration of the house's first level floor plan.

This is the illustration of the house's second level floor plan.

This is the illustration of the house's roof level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the house's Section A cross section elevation.

This is an illustration of the house's Section B cross section elevation.

This is an illustration of the house's Section C cross section elevation.

This is an illustration of the house's Section D cross section elevation.

House of voids is located in a gated community in urban Bangalore. The site, 50ftX100ft with the shorter side along the road faces south. The most prominent element of the house is a 6’ deep verandah/balcony around the son’s bedroom on the south and southeastern side at the second-floor level. The deep-set balcony was a response to the harsh south sun and privacy from the road.

The client aspired to build a house that would be more than just a place to live in or a statement to make. For him, it was more of a legacy that he would leave behind for the generations to come. While keeping his aspirations in mind, the architecture narrative was built by shaping the voids both internally and externally, rather than starting with a form or geometry in mind.

We scooped out masses on the south and southeast side resulting in deep-set balconies which compositionally balanced the stoic white walls to which it was anchored to. The voids were then articulated further by cladding the cantilever balcony edges with steatite (soapstone) and a series of sliding-folding teak wood louver shutters.

These two elements also pronounced the horizontality of the verandah. The teak ceiling comes all the way to the edge of the building terminating with steatite stone cladding, further emphasizing the void under the deep cantilevered slabs.

The poise induced by the light filigree-like wooden screen across the south and southeast edge and the cantilevered slab anchored to the walls on the southwest and eastern side stood in contrast to the fragility brought in by resting the southeast corner of the balcony over a circular column. This strategy helped us in anchoring the eye to the void below the loggia and creating a sense of balance between the solid and void.

Spatial planning of the house was primarily dictated by Vastu (ancient Indian science of orientation and spatial planning in Architecture) and the linearity of the site. Vastu mandated for an entry to the house from the NE (3rd quadrant of the plot) part of the house. This prompted us to leave a good 10’ wide space on the ground floor which was landscaped with a strip of tropical plants all along the eastern side.

The House was designed from inside out, scooping out volumes intermittently, thereby creating these double-height public spaces on either side of the central corridor. The large expanse of the veneer-clad false ceiling at the first-floor level unifies these spaces under a single element.

Each member although part of a close-knit family has their own space within the house and the bedrooms opening up to their semi-open space creating a world within a world for each member.

We strived to achieve a balance between the austerity of white walls and the visually rich texture of timber and stone creating simple spaces that would always be. Devoid of embellishments, the architecture and interior express strong and clean lines.